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City mulls parking districts around SHS to cut down on littering, other problems

Most likely the districts would only be valid from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days

After ongoing complaints about parking in neighborhoods around Sherwood High School and Snyder Park, the city is looking into forming permit-only residential parking districts.

The districts would help eliminate parking issues as well as problems with littering and other non-desirable behavior, according to city officials.

During a May 7 Sherwood City Council work session, Police Chief Jeff Groth said he would like to see parking districts established similar to those already functioning in Tigard and Tualatin.

Groth set up Tualatin parking districts when he was with the Tualatin Police Department, he said.

It was a positive, he said of Tualatins program. It was an effective program.

Groth said once signs were installed announcing that parking district, it provided a quick learning curve for students.

The problem just stopped, said Groth.

Those signs would also note the hours of operation – most likely from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days only, he said.

Groth said if Sherwood moves forward with its plans, parking districts would be established on Saunders Drive, West Villa Road and Woodhaven Drive in back of the high school.

The city also is looking into forming a district along King Richards Court, Marshall Street and Travis Court, streets to the north of the high school.

In addition, Groth said there are some parking issues near Synder Park with people parking on Smock Street, where a district could be formed as well.

Groth said the fines would be enough to fire people up and keep students from parking in those areas.

A resident who spoke during the work session said he supported the parking districts because of problems hes encountered involving trash, drug use and loud music.

Brian Bailey, assistant principal at Sherwood High School, said the school has 249 parking spaces with annual permits costing $40 each. He said he has been in two other cities that established parking districts near high schools with the major issue being having enough manpower to check for violators. He said the biggest problem in the past has been black market parking permits sold or exchanged between students.

Mayor Bill Middleton said he was supportive of forming a parking district by asking residents of those affected neighborhoods to pick up the tab for signs designating the street as a parking district. Several homeowner associations involved said they were supportive of the districts, officials said.